Coach, Emmanuel AmunekeWorld Cup winning coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has been promoted to coach the Nigeria U-20 team by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Amuneke takes over from coach Manu Garba, who handled the team uptil now.
The NFF ratified the promotion of Amuneke to the Flying Eagles in a communiqué after its executive board meeting held on Tuesday.
Amuneke led the Golden Eaglets to win the U-17 World Cup in Chile last year and was handed a chance to progress with his wards to the U-20 level.
He was named African Footballer of the Year in 1994 and will hope to qualify the Flying Eagles to the 20th U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Zambia next year.
Meanwhile, following the confirmation of Emmanuel Amuneke as coach of the Flying Eagles, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has named Coach Manu Garba (MFR) as Head Coach of the U-17 national team, with a mandate to repeat his World Cup–winning feat of 2013 at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.
Garba, who was elevated to the U-20 team after the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup triumph, led the Flying Eagles to lift the African title in Senegal last year, but his boys failed to progress beyond the Round of 16 at the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
Garba will now be assisted by Atuni Ali and Ernest Teigpanyo. The Golden Eaglets will a few months begin the qualification series for the 2017 African U-17 Championship, which will be hosted by Madagascar. The NFF also confirmed Bala Nikyu as Head Coach of the U-17 girls’ team, the Flamingos. He will be assisted by Queen Gwendolyn with Lateef Yusuf as goalkeeper trainer.
Flamingos have already qualified for the final round of the African qualification series for the 2016 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will hold in Jordan later in the year. They play South Africa over two legs next month for a spot in Jordan.